NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — This month, 10 On Your Side is giving you an inside look at life in the Navy through our series “On Deck: The Navy Experience.”
This week, we’re looking at a tough topic: mental health in the military.
Suicide rates in the military have been slowly increasing between 2011 and 2022, according to the Department of Defense’s 2022 report on suicide in the military. However, the report states that rates in 2022 and 2021 were slightly lower than in 2020.
In April of 2022, three sailors connected to the locally-based USS George Washington died by suicide.
10 On Your Side’s Marielena Balouris was recently onboard USS George Washington and spoke with ship leadership about mental health on the ship.
“For the ship, it’s been very challenging for us,” said Capt. Brent Gaut, commanding officer of USS George Washington.
He said time in the shipyard was tough.
“It’s the same thing, day in and day out,” Gaut said, “and sometimes it’s hard to see that light at the end of the tunnel.”
However, he said being out at sea has changed everything.
“Once we got out there, those first couple of days, were extraordinary, in May, because sailors for the first time got to see what its like to be at sea,” Gaut told 10 On Your Side while on the bridge of the ship. “To come up on the flight deck and feel the wind in your hair, to feel the ship rock a little bit, and they got to finally feel like a real sailor.”
While things have improved, that hasn’t stopped his focus on mental health and wellness.
“Even though we’ve destigmatized mental health challenges, I think we still have a long way to go,” Gaut said, “and so we’re constantly talking about, it’s OK to come forward, it’s OK — in fact, it’s a sign of strength — to ask for help, not a sign of weakness, right. It’s OK to be vulnerable and say ‘hey I’m just struggling right now.'”
It’s not just talk. The ship is making changes, including adding WiFi on the mess deck, to help improve quality of life.
“If we can allow them to connect with their loved ones back home, even for a couple minutes, right,” Gaut said. “That’s the cherry on top. They’re good for the rest of the day — let’s go get it, let’s get after it.”
As another way to help sailors, the ship recently held a mental health resource fair, pier-side.
Representatives from nonprofits, like The Fallen Outdoors, were there to help.
“We take veterans, active duty, retirees, any veterans outdoors,” said Justin Kloppe, a volunteer with The Fallen Outdoors, “whether that’s hunting, fishing, kayaking, disc golf, whatever. It’s extremely important to give sailors an outlet to reach out away from the ship.”
Kloppe’s full-time job is serving in the Marine Corps. He’s been in for more than 20 years, so he’s seen the conversation around mental health evolve and knows first-hand how important it is.
“I had a Marine (die by) suicide in Japan, back in 2010,” said Kloppe. “It was a tough loss for the unit. We all knew him, we all liked him a lot. No one knew he had a problem. No one knew he was struggling.”
That’s part of why he’s committed to helping other service members.
“To give the sailors on board here another outlet to reach out, get together, get off the ship, get outdoors or anything, just a community for them to be a part of,” said Kloppe.
It’s not just those on the ship who are dedicated to improving sailors mental health.
“There’s nothing more impactful to the Navy than to lose one of our own through suicide,” said Admiral Daryl Caudle, commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command. “You are my top priority, so when I hear a sailor has died by suicide, it is heartbreaking news.”
Caudle recently spoke about the Navy’s commitment to its sailors’ mental health.
“There’s a historical stigma associated with trying to get help for something mentally that you’re dealing with,” Caudle said. “We’re working really hard to lower that threshold, lower that barrier.”
He knows change will take time, but he wants sailors to know that leadership cares and is working to make change.
“We like to say mental health is health, and that’s gotta become more than a talking point,” Caudle added. “That takes time, I recognize that. We’re on a journey.”
Onboard USS George Washington, it’s that journey that Gaut continues to lead his sailors through.
“Sometimes hope is more important than happiness, and for the first time in a long time, they had that hope, the hope that it was going to get better, that there were going to be more days like that,” Gaut said.
See below for all of the stories in the On Deck: The Navy Experience series: